A Hockey Player Changes Everything

Shuffling my feet to reach the middle of the ice rink, I
recently had a rare opportunity to watch the NHL Productions crew film
an advertisement at the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks. The
30-second spot, part of "The Cup Changes Everything" campaign, markets
the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Stanley Cup playoff spots put the focus on creating a community of
dedicated fans, similar to frenzied football fanatics who drive
millions of dollars in merchandise and advertising sales through the
National Football League. The ads begin airing on March 28,
exclusively on NHL.com, and on March 30 on broadcast TV and other Web
sites.

I spoke with the Vancouver Canucks' Roberto Luongo in the
locker room before the photo shoot. The 29-year-old goalie was dressed in full gear and sat in front of cubbies with methodically hung helmets and uniforms.

"It's a good opportunity to get face and
air time with fans because, especially as a goalie, you're mostly
under a mask all the time," he told me, humbly. "All of us in the league
are privileged to play the game and want to help promote the sport."

Words in the ad featuring Luongo demonstrate that commitment: "And you
do whatever it takes to keep them believing. That's what a city can do
for a goalie. And a goalie for a city. That's how the cup changes
everything."

The spot took a mere 45 minutes to shoot, but several
hours to plot, and set up and tear down equipment. I watched as several lights, flag stands
and a camera were rolled out onto the half-inch-thick ice on the
professional hockey rink. Some equipment required for shoots may not
produce heat, but the weight continually puts pressure on the ice,
which melts with each passing minute, Ken Rosen, group VP
for video production and programming at NHL Productions, told me.

Rosen says the players
also work on features and shows that run on the league's web site.
"Playing hockey is a full-time job. They train to keep in shape and
play 82 games per year, plus playoffs," Rosen said. "Players
participate in ads for the game because they love the sport, not
because someone twists their arm."

Marketing the sport by participating in commercials and public
appearances won't help them win the game, but it does foster community
among the league, players and fans. Designed by ad agency Young +
Rubicam, about nine ads, including the one featuring Luongo, are scheduled to run
through the playoffs on NBC and Versus networks in the United States;
and on CBC, TSN and RDS in Canada.

Players may work hard to get into the game, but I think that creating a feeling of
community among fans keeps them there. Look how the word "community"
changed social network sites YouTube and LinkedIn.

When it comes to
hockey, some might think it's the player's salary (an average $1.7 million
annually, capping at $50.3 million) that keeps them in line. They say that if the players don't put (marketing) heart
into the game, the league would trade them in without missing a beat.